Lawsuit filed to block Dunleavy administration decision allowing personal watercraft in Kachemak Bay
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Print article Four conservation groups have sued the state of Alaska in an attempt to restore a ban on personal watercraft, often called Jet Skis, in Kachemak Bay near Homer. The ban, in place since 2001, was rescinded Jan. 9 after a yearslong effort by personal watercraft users, including the Personal Watercraft Club of Alaska. “We had instant support for a lawsuit as soon as the official action was announced. We gathered enough funds, I think, in that week, to move forward,” said Penelope Haas of Kachemak Bay Conservation Society, one of the four groups that filed suit Tuesday.
Print article JUNEAU The Alaska Legislature has approved a plan to retroactively extend Alaska’s COVID-19 emergency declaration through the end of the year and keep the state eligible for millions of dollars in federal aid. Senators voted 14-6 on Wednesday to approve a modified version of a bill that passed the House in March. Around 8:30 p.m., the House voted 25-15 to agree with the Senate changes and send the bill to Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Jeff Turner, a spokesman for the governor, said Dunleavy will review the bill Thursday. Alaska’s COVID-19 emergency declaration expired in February, but legislators and the governor need to have some kind of disaster declaration in place by Friday to keep Alaska eligible for $8 million in extra monthly food assistance benefits paid to low-income Alaskans.
Print article JUNEAU Gov. Mike Dunleavy and state legislative leaders have agreed on a plan to fund Alaska’s ferry system in advance, preventing abrupt changes to ferry schedules if the system’s budget is cut in the future. Under the plan, Alaska will use federal economic aid to fund the Alaska Marine Highway System for the next 18 months. After that period, the state’s ferries will use a January-through-December budget calendar. That means any cuts to the ferry system’s budget during the spring legislative session won’t take effect for six months or more, allowing riders to change their plans well in advance.
Print article JUNEAU Last year, the Alaska Legislature let Gov. Mike Dunleavy decide how to spend more than $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus aid. Many lawmakers regret that decision and are now scrambling to seize what seems like a second chance. The state of Alaska is receiving more than $1 billion in flexible spending money from the American Rescue Plan, and lawmakers want to keep control in their hands. The debate over how to spend the money is looking like the defining issue of the last month of the Legislature’s regular session, multiple lawmakers said. It has overshadowed the traditional debates about the Permanent Fund dividend, slowed work on the state budget and at least for one year shelved persistent worries about a long-term revenue shortfall.